Juan Atkins

Early life Juan Atkins was born in Detroit, Michigan. His father was a concert promoter. At the age of 15, he bought his first synthesizer, a Korg MS-10. The duo's debut studio album, Enter, was released in 1983.

In 1985, Atkins founded the record label Metroplex. In that year, he started making solo records under the alias Model 500. As Model 500, he released Deep Space in 1995,

He is also one half of the duo Borderland along with Moritz von Oswald. The duo released Borderland in 2013

In 2015, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Metroplex, Juan Atkins collaborated with VAVA Eyewear.

Artistry John Bush of AllMusic explains that Atkins "explor[ed] his vision of a futuristic music that welded the more cosmic side of Parliament funk with the rigid computer synth pop embodied by Kraftwerk and the techno-futurist possibilities described by sociologist Alvin Toffler." Aesthetically, Atkins drew upon dystopian science fiction narratives to construct his sonic landscapes. Later in his career, he began incorporating elements of contemporary dance music, while retaining what critics consider to be his signature sense of melody. He has stated that George Clinton's bands Parliament and Funkadelic were important to his "musical awakening."

Legacy John Bush of AllMusic conferred the title of "godfather of techno" on Atkins, and said his discography is "perhaps the most influential body of work in the field of techno." He stated: "Though it's often difficult (and misleading) to pick the precise genesis for any style of music, the easiest choice for techno is an Atkins release, the 1982 electro track 'Clear,' recorded by Atkins and Rick Davis as Cybotron."

Short films Black to Techno (2019)